2022 NDAA not Build Back Better, just Kill Back Better

President Biden is struggling to pass his Build Back Better program to modernize the American economy thru investment in controlling climate change, early education, higher education, affordable health care, housing, family child tax credits and immigration reform. Even with a congressional majority, Biden can’t get his entire Democratic party fully on board in face of unanimous Republican opposition.

But when it came to passing the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) both parties embraced in a lovefest of cooperation to pass it quickly with just 10 dissenting votes. While Congress agonizes over every dollar proposed to modernize American infrastructure and domestic health, it added a whopping $25 billion more to Biden’s request of $753 billion; itself a $21 billion increase of the 2021 NDAA of $732 billion. That’s $778 billion, not a dollar of which will Build Back Better.

The now $46 billion increase (6.3%) comes after a huge expense item, our multi trillion dollar Afghan war was ended. Apparently, the concept of ‘peace dividend’ is not in the Congressional spending tool box. While Afghanistan has been left a failed state by 20 years of U.S. warfare, the president and Congress moved on to new dragons to slay or at least threaten with our gargantuan military budget.

Russia, China and Iran all represent areas of most immediate potential to draw America into new wars. The NDAA includes $300 million for weaponry to Ukraine, $75 million of which is offensive instead of purely defensive. This may embolden Ukraine’s president Zelensky to initiate military action in the Donbass to reclaim this pro Russian breakaway region, instead of implementing the Minsk Accords which would grant autonomy for the region, deflating the threat of war.

Pivoting to Asia, the NDAA authorizes $7.1 billion for Pacific Deterrence Initiatives (PDI), which includes placing threatening long range missiles near our newest bête noire, China.

Tragically missing from the NDAA is Representative Ro Khanna’s amendment that would have ended U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen. Hundreds of thousands of dead Yemenis and millions facing starvation made no dent on the presidential or congressional conscience. If that carnage helps blunt imagined Iranian influence in the region, let the blood keep flowing.

Maybe ‘Kill Back Better’ is a tad strong. How about simply ‘National Offense Authorization Act’?

Walt Zlotow

Wheaton